Worlds Apart
by Sargaetorian
Summary: Upon stumbling upon a young man in the woods while he was trying to get some peace and quiet, Sasuke finds himself whisked away into a world of danger and adventure, all because he was a nosey little bastard. It just makes it worse that the man happens to be a demon, and that they are literally worlds apart. Shounen ai. Canonish AU. [HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **New story? Yes please! I think the title of this one is rather bad, so I may go in and change it at some point. But for now, just enjoy the first chapter, and tell me what you think!

**Note:**Itachi and Sasuke are not brothers in this fic.

**Disclaimer:** I own Naruto naught.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Sasuke sat in his usual isolated place, away from his hectic village and the useless fights and pointless village drama, where no one expected anything from him. The place was nearly untouched: a clear, mirror-like lake that was a million shades of blue and green if you cared to look closer, grains of sand making up the shore like gold dust. The entire picture was complete with leafy green woods surrounding the like on all sides, the sky clear cerulean and completely cloudless. From Sasuke's vantage point, he had a spectacular view of the snow capped mountain peaks, and if he was lucky, the perfect, awe-inspiring sight of the sky lit on fire when Sasuke decided to come at sunset.

The place was quiet, secluded, and serene, a utopia in the midst of warring countries and raging villages. It was a complete secret from everyone but Sasuke, and he planned to keep it that way.

Sasuke had settled on a hillside, where the grass gave way to the sandy shore. He wasn't doing anything in particular, just sitting. It wasn't the most productive of times for Sasuke, and if he were in any other setting he would have become bored very quickly, but here, the view made up for everything. It seemed to change every time you took a second glance at it, and Sasuke enjoyed every minute of his escapes.

But on this particular day, the day where Sasuke had planned to take a long awaited break from his duties at the village, to just stay here and enjoy himself, a loud, animalistic, and shrill noise pierced the quiet air, sending flocks of birds fleeing from the woods behind Sasuke. He sprang up, his senses desperately trying to find the source of the sound. As he identified it as coming from the somewhere in the trees, the screams gradually turned from an animalistic, wild shriek of pain to plainly human wails of pain.

Sasuke leapt through the trees, casting his chakra around him in search of any other life force. Apruptly, after a few minutes, his radar hit.

It was almost unworldly, what his senses had found. A mass of chakra so huge, surely if anyone held that much power, they would be incinerated by it. And yet, Sasuke kept observing the mass at a distance, his observations becoming increasingly stranger and stranger of this discovery.

Rather than the usual blue chakra found in most humans, this one was almost…red. Sasuke had the feeling that, as huge as this roiling red mass was, it was actually only a portion of a much larger power. Upon closer observation, his theory proved to be correct-a dark band of slowly revolving symbols wrapped completely around the mass, condensing it to a small ball and holding it down so that it was fixed.

Sasuke hurried through the forest, still disconcerted by the turn of events. So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he almost missed it. Doubling back, he leapt off o the tree branches and landed gracefully on the ground before the strange figure.

It was a man, as the light revealed, completely naked, kneeling on the ground and panting, holding his bruised and bloodied shoulder with one large hand. Blonde, slim, and lean in stature, Sasuke didn't know what to make of him The spiky-haired man didn't even seem to notice Sasuke.

Tentatively, Sasuke released his chakra again, blue tendrils stretching out toward the other man's. As he slowly advanced, going closer, closer, and closer still…the red chakra lunged, changing instantly to a new form. It transformed from the condensed red, swirling ball to a long eared _thing_, its jaws opening wide to expose long, thin, and razor sharp fangs, clamping down on Sasuke's chakra.

In a split second, Sasuke was battling for his life as he tried to reel his own chakra back in, twisting and turning it in its path to shake it free, but the red chakra seemed to follow it with ease, clamping even harder and slowly but surely dragging the smaller tendrils into the bubbling red mass.

And then, inexplicably, just as the first few inches of Sasuke's blue chakra disappeared into the mass, the red chakra receded. Sasuke opened his eyes to find himself staring eye to eye at the mad that had previously been crouched on the ground.

Now standing, he was tall, though still a bit shorter than Sasuke. Suddenly and mysteriously dressed in a long, flowing robe that was orange and embroidered with black flames, a whirlpool emblazoned on its sleeves and on the back of the robe, Sasuke's eyes quickly traveled back up to the man's face after his initial shock.

He had bold, fearsome and yet handsome features, Sasuke decided. With a tall nose and an angular face with three whisker-like scars on each cheek, Sasuke realized with a jolt that the man's unwavering eyes were a crimson red, with black slits for pupils.

The man opened his mouth. Sasuke assumed he was speaking, but it was in a dialect he had never heard. With a series of hisses, snarls, and rumbling growls, the man stared expectantly at Sasuke. Sasuke stared blankly black, shrugging to indicate that he didn't understand.

The man tried again, this time speaking in Sasuke's native tongue, but with a thick, strange accent unlike anything Sasuke had ever heard before.

"'Allo."

Sasuke stared, a question immediately jumping to his lips. "Who are you?"

The man's lips moved, but no sound came out. Sasuke realized he was mouthing his previous words, rolling them around in his mouth

The man grinned, revealing strangely thin and pointed canines, speaking once more. Sasuke was surprised to hear that the thick accent had disappeared, replaced by a perfect one as though he had spoken the language his whole life. "Ah, so this is what humans these days speak?" he asked, giving Sasuke the impression that the man was old beyond belief, though he couldn't have been more than eighteen, the same age as Sasuke himself.

"Well, my name's actually-" the man let out another series of strangled hisses and rumblings in the back of his throat, "but I suppose it would translate roughly to Kyuubi no Kitsune." The grin spread even further at Sasuke's blank expression. "For your own sale, though, you can just call me Naruto." As he spoke, his pupils rounded and his eyes turned from red, to purple, to a striking, vivid blue, stunning Sasuke even more.

"Wh-what are you, and where did you come from?" Sasuke choked.

"Ah, there are the million-dollar questions, eh? I came from the rift, obviously. As for what I am? Why, I'm a demon, of course."

Sasuke was at a loss. "…what?"

"You don't know this?" the demon asked in disbelief. "Man, what do they teach the kids these days? Well, I volunteer out of the goodness of my heart to tutor you in your history."

Sasuke blinked, then shook his head. Usually, he would have called the man crazy and then gone off on his way, but he'd seen things that until now he'd dismissed as fantasy. This man couldn't be from this world.

Sasuke frowned. Whatever this was, he was certain that he didn't want any part in it. All he'd wanted was some peace and quiet, and luck had obviously been against him this day. So he shook his head no, and turned back in the direction of the village

"Like hell you're escaping me!" Sasuke grit his teeth as he heard the demon bounding to catch up behind him. "Damn, it's been so long since I've been in this world! Speaking of which," the demon looked at Sasuke, catching up to him with ease. "You haven't told me your name yet."

"And I don't plan on doing so either," Sasuke replied shortly.

Naruto stopped, surprise flitting across his features before the easygoing grin was back on his face. "Tough one, aren't you? Never met a human like you before."

Sasuke said nothing in reply, pushing branches out of the way as he determinedly marched to the village with Naruto on his trail.

"Anyway, Nameless One," Naruto paused. "You know, it's going to get really annoying if I have to keep calling you that." He looked pointedly at Sasuke's irritated face.

"If I tell you…" Sasuke bit out, grinding his teeth, "Will you leave me alone?"

"Sure thing!" was the cheerful reply.

Sasuke frowned, setting his expression back into his usual murderous look. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto gasped. "An Uchiha! Would you happen to be related to the Uchiha Itachi?"

"Yes," came the sullen reply.

"He's one of my best friends back at home!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "Oh, and by the way…" he trailed off.

Sasuke swore he was grinding his teeth down to nothing. "Yes?" he hissed.

"You're still not getting out of that history lesson."

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**A/N: **How ya liking it? It's the first one where I actually wrote drafts. OwO isn't that amazing? Now my internet's down again, and my fingers are freezing off and it's painful :C More to come soon! Sarge is now out, to warm up her fingers with some ramen.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **So yeah, I've been slacking off. But I'm going to get back on track, I swear! Especially with winter break just around the corner!

**Disclaimer:** Naruto ain't mine.

**Chapter Two**

"So!" Naruto stretching, yawning as he followed Sasuke through the trees like a lost puppy. Or, a lost fox. "Where do we begin?"

"How about never?" Sasuke muttered darkly, but to his disappointment, the angry statement didn't seem to discourage Naruto at all.

"That's a terrible idea!" Naruto reprimanded, shocked. "Hmm…" he thought, "Let's start…millions of years ago. When this land was the world of the demons.

* * *

"_Long ago, demons and humans lived together in harmony. Demons treated humans as equals, and the humans treated demons the same. It was a beautiful, peaceful time. We created the seasons, and you cultivated them. There was no such thing as war, hunger, or disease. Whatever the humans desired, the demons would give to them. What the demons wanted, the humans would grant them, keeping in mind, however, that humans were non-magical beings while demons were made of magic. Even the smallest child knew, though, that the demons' magic couldn't always solve their problems._

"_Anyway, there was no such thing as one group being in debt of the other, and the humans didn't hold any more rights than the demons did. You see, this is what bothers me most about how humans have developed after all of what you have been through. You have come so far, only to have your hearts succumb to greed and arrogance. Long ago, there was no such thing as retribution, or rivalry. And that is because we were all friends with one another._

"_One day, the demons realized that the world was slowly becoming dominated by humans. Meaning, the numbers of humans outnumbered demons by nearly four times. The demons regretted it, but they had to take their leave as a result to such a huge change._

"_They did this all without telling the humans, however. The demons have always guarded their secrets very closely, as I'm sure you do as well. It was a tear through the thin layer separating this world from a myriad of others. Soon, we found out the world we had discovered was only fit for demons. The magic thrumming through the air would literally rip you apart molecule by molecule; it was our only escape route if this world ever became tainted._

"_There is no real name for it in this limiting language, though I suppose you could translate it very primitively to '_Eden.'" At this, the demon's eyes began flickering back to red, a faraway gleam in them. "_It's the most beautiful place, more beautiful than even this world. You can find demons everywhere; in the trees, the grass, the dirt, the majestic wild beast. Everything is alive. The land provides us with a home, and we in turn care for it, nurturing it so it will become even more beautiful in seasons to pass._

"_The only way in and out of the two worlds, The Realm of Demons, as we call it, and this one, is through things we call Rifts. Tears that split the thin boundary separating _Eden_ from _Earth,_ big enough for a sharp eyed, cunning demon to slip through, but small enough so that the boundary's Rifts are barely noticeable._

"Now, here's where _my_ story starts." Naruto bared his sharp canines in a roguish grin. "_There was a very old, very wise demon in the midst of our world. His name has long been a mystery; he is simply known as the Sage of the Six Paths. He was somewhat of an authority figure in our Realm, though as we were all equals, he had no real power. All the demons simply looked up to him, respected him. The Sage was old, but very, very powerful. He did everything to ensure the safety of both demons and humans. He cast a spell on the Rifts, shutting them tightly for thousands of years after we settled in the Realm. He was the one who took charge and moved us all from _Earth,_ making sure we disappeared without a trace When the demons were flourishing, he knew that his powers would eventually weaken with his age, leaving him unable to defend the Realm. So he split his power into ten immensely powerful demons. From the One Tails-my dear friends Shukaku and Gaara, to the Nine Tails,-this would be Kurama and me._

* * *

Despite himself, Sasuke was actually beginning to get very interested in the story. "So, you're a demon that's immensely powerful and old?" Sasuke cut Naruto off.

"I'm getting there," Naruto replied rather crossly.

* * *

"_It was a common misconception that all the nine demons were granted with the same amount of power. In reality, the number of tails we have represents the amount of power we were given. Shukaku used to never leave me alone about it. Luckily, he's gotten over it._

"_You'll notice that I left the Ten Tails out. The Sage deemed the Ten Tails too actually be too powerful. Meaning, it had almost more power than the Sage himself, and since it had no real conscience unlike the rest of us due to that power, it could easily be misguided and used for evil._

"_The nine demons were all different in form and spirit, but our duties were all the same: To protect the Realm of Demons at all costs if something were to happen._

"Now, about your question," Naruto continued. "All demons have a choice of, with the human's consent, choosing a partner That meant the human was bonded to that spirit for life and eternity, since demons don't die easily. For most, they chose not to, but there are quite a few of my friends who have human companions. As for the nine demons, the Bijuu, they were actually required by the Sage to find a companion, to channel their power more easily as well as to gain new powers. They can also leave us in our human forms, or we can both transform into our demon forms. Obviously, Kyuubi chose me, but I had no say in the matter. My fate was already decided from the moment I was born. When I turned eighteen, I was bound to Kyuubi. Since then, I've never aged a day."

"So… Are you demon or human?" Sasuke asked uneasily.

At this, Naruto smiled a bit eerily, and when he spoke, his voice had an echoing quality to it, like there was a much deeper, more ancient voice reciting the lines with him. "_We are each other, and yet we are not. We have crossed the boundaries between man and demon; we exist only together. We are one; there is no such thing as 'man or demon.' We simply are."_

"That being said," Naruto continued, his voice now normal, "I'm Naruto, I'm not the Kyuubi. Although technically we are one entity, I am still a human and he a demon. So I'd appreciate it if you stuck to those terms."

Sasuke was beyond confused at this point, but he et no sign of it slip past his emotionless mask. "So, why are you here?"

Naruto's head dropped slightly, the first pause in the unending show of happiness and optimism Naruto radiated. "Ten Tails," Naruto whispered sadly. "He's awoken. He caught us all off guard, and threw the Bijuu through the Rifts, scattering us around this world, chaining us in place. He's set on conquering the Realm; the minor demons are in danger. We have failed in our duties."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. Growing irritated at himself as well as Naruto, he snapped at the demon. "Alright, you've given me your little history lesson. Will you go now?"

Naruto looked shocked. "I can't possibly do that!" he argued.

"Why not?" Sasuke asked, exasperated.

"Isn't it obvious? You're bonded to me now."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

They emerged from the forest, a path curving in front of them and leading down a hill into the valley below.

"Wow." Naruto stood at the peak of the hill, surveying the cradle in which Konoha was situated. "It's a beautiful village."

"Don't change the subject!" Sasuke spat furiously, standing a few feet away from the demon. "You mean to say-I'm bound to a demon? I have to go to the other side now?"

Naruto was silent, turning away from the village and sitting on a nearby flat rock, gesturing for Sasuke to sit down across from him.

When Sasuke had done so, he began. "First order of business: When a human is bound to a demon, it's not only the demon that receives special powers. Second, you are not bound to a demon, you are bound to me, a human." Upon seeing Sasuke's raised eyebrow, he shook his head, sighing. "You really don't know anything, do you? The kind of bond we have is much less complex than the mutual, emotional bonds I have with Kyuubi. Because you were being so nosy earlier on, with your chakra and all," Sasuke averted his eyes at this, "you formed a temporary chakra bond with me. My chakra grabbed yours as a defense mechanism; now I can't let it go, because of the restriction seal, which I'm sure you've already sensed. We are now connected by a thin thread of your chakra, and all of your chakra will be pulled out of you entirely and swallowed by mine if you go too far from me."

"So, you're telling me that you're draining my chakra right now? Is there any way to get rid of the bond?" Sasuke demanded.

"No, I am simply holding it in place. If there is no more life force from where it originated, however, it will be swallowed by mine. When the seal is broken, then your chakra will be released. We can go back to our old lives, and we will never see each other ever again." Naruto said matter of factly. "Simple, right? Now the only consequence is," Naruto flashed his gleaming white teeth at Sasuke again, "that you and I are going to have to go on a little adventure together."

'_What have I gotten myself into?'_ Sasuke thought despairingly.

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**A/N: **More to come!


	3. Chapter 3

**ANNOUNCEMENT: **Bleh you all probably hate me, I'm so indecisive. But I have decided to put this story on a short hold, just enough time for me to finish writing a new fiction. The reason for this is because I really want this story to be the best written it can possibly be, and at the current time I don't think my skills are up to par. Don't worry, I will most definitely finish this story. Thank you for understanding C:


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